Kathleen L. Hefferon, J Antivir Antiretrovir 2011, 3:4
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/1948-5964.S1.15
International Conference and Exhibition on
VIROLOGY
5-7 September 2011 Baltimore, USA
The mucosal immune response to
plant-dserived biopharmaceuticals
Kathleen L. Hefferon
Cornell Research Foundation, Cornell
University, USA
P
lants present a novel means by which large quantities of vaccine and therapeutic proteins
can be produced in a safe and cost-effective manner. Biopharmaceuticals produced in plants
are easy to store, require fewer timely and expensive purification steps, and lack the containment
risks associated with proteins produced in animal or bacterial expression systems. Over the
past decade, much progress has been made with respect to the development of vaccines,
antibodies and other therapeutic proteins. This presentation outlines the steps involved in
the engineering of a plant virus expression vector for transient expression of vaccine proteins
and other therapeutics in plant tissue, and the advantages of this technology over the use of
conventional transgenic plants. Expression of a vaccine protein using this expression vector
system is described. An investigation into the basis of mucosal immunity using plant-based oral
vaccines in preliminary clinical trials is also addressed. Expression levels and biological activity
of a vaccine protein produced via a plant virus expression vector are described. The efficacy of
this plant-based vaccine protein is compared to conventional vaccines. The presentation will
conclude with a discussion of the future of plant-based vaccines and other therapeutic proteins
in human and veterinary medicine with respect to commercial viability and as a tool to improve
global public health.
Biography
Kathleen Hefferon received her PhD from the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto and
continued her post-doctoral studies at Cornell University. Dr. Hefferon has worked on faculty at the Division
of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell and has written two books on biopharmaceuticals in plants. She is currently
teaching Virology at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine.
J Antivir Antiretrovir
ISSN:1948-5964 JAA, an open access journal
Virology - 2011
5-7 September 2011
Volume 3 Issue 4 - 160